Final Exam Long Answers

What is comparative politics

to understand political systems and behaviors within countries

why is theory important in comparative politics

backbone of comparative politics, it is a framework for analysis

explain the importance of falsifiability in the scientific method

statement loses credibility

why is it important to operationalize concepts in political science

transforms abstract ideas into measurable variables

what are the key steps of the scientific method

question/puzzle, forming a research question, developing a hypothesis, test hypothesis to form a theory, based on data come to scientific conclusion

compare/contrast the role of theory in comparative politics and the natural sciences

framework for understanding, controlled experimentation

what challenges do researches face when conducting cross-national comparisons in comparative politics

constantly changing economies

what is the key difference between a state, regime, and a government

state overall entity, regime set of rules to how power is exercised, government is a body of people governing a country

why did Dahl prefer to use the term “polyarchy” instead of democracy

real systems often fall short of the definition of democracy

how does the democracy-dictatorship measure define and classify regimes

based on a binary system, none are picked it is a dictatorship

why is the concept of validity important in measuring democracy and dictatorship

validity is the ability of a measure to accurately reflect the concept it is designed to measure

what is the main difference between primordiality and constructivist arguments about culture

one believes culture is fixed and the other believes it is adaptable

compare and contrast the democracy-dictatorship, Polity IV, and Freedom House measure of democracy. what are the strengths and weaknesses of each

DD uses a binary system, Polity IV uses scales for democracies and autocracies, Freedom House uses a 0-100 scale

discuss the role of religion in shaping democratic institutions. how have different religious traditions been linked to democracy and what are the limitations of these arguments

United States-democracy bc freedom of religion, islamic-based countries-authoritarian bc one ruler, Spain-parliamentary bc it reflects the catholic structure

briefly explain the difference between a presidential, parliamentary, and semi-presidential democracy. provide one example of each

presidential-elected separately from the legislature, United States parliamentary-prime minster is chosen by the legislature, UK semi-presidential-president and prime minister, France

describe Gamson’s law and how it influences the distribution of cabinet positions in coalition governments

in coalition governments, cabinet positions are distributed among parties in proportion to their share of legislative seats

what are the main advantages and disadvantages of minority governments

inclusivity, instability

what determines if a democracy is classified as semi-presidential

if it has a dual system

what are the key challenges in semi-presidential democracies

distribution of power

compare/contrast the stability of presidential, parliamentary, semi-presidential systems. which system tends to last longer and why

how much freedom the people have, how fair the elections are, parliamentary systems tend to last longer

explain why minority governments form and how they can survive despite lacking a legislative majority

forms when no single party wins the majority of the seats, manage relationships well and keep opposition disorganized

explain the concept of district magnitude

maximum size of a district, how many voters/seats in that district

how does the proportional representation system function

direct correlation between voters and seats

describe the Borda count and its impact on election outcomes

voters list their preferences in order and points are assigned based on rankings, reduces strategic voting

what is the difference between a closed and an open party list in proportional representation

party lists determine how candidates are elected, difference between a closed and an open party list lies in how much control voters have over individual candidates.

explain the purpose of electoral thresholds

the minimum percentage of votes a party must receive to gain representation in a legislature

analyze the effects of electoral thresholds and district magnitude on political representation

play a critical role in shaping political representation, influencing party systems, coalition-building, and voter choice

discuss the impact of suffrage expansion on political participation and electoral competition

increased voter turnout and greater political parties, emergence of new political parties

briefly explain the difference between dominant party and personalistic dictatorships

shown in the ruling majority, dominant party-majority party holds the power, personalistic-power is centered around one individual

what are the main functions of elections in authoritarian regimes

provide information about what the masses are looking for, way to get around falsification preferences

why are monarchies considered more stable than other authoritarian regimes

include the masses in their legislature, do not repress them

how does selectorate theory help explain variation in government performance

analyzes how leaders maintain political power and what incentives shape their decision-making

what is the role of personality cults in maintaining authoritarian control

shapes public perception and reinforces the legitimacy of the leader

compare/contrast the three types of dictatorships (monarchy, military, civilian) which is most likely to democratize and why

monarchy-prime minister held accountable by the legislature, military-power is in the armed forces, civilian-leader backed by the civilian elite, military is most likely to democratize because of negotiation and strategy

what are the main differences between collective action theory and tipping models in explaining political uprisings

collective action-based on rational choice and emphasizes free rider problems, tipping models-based on social influence and hidden preferences

why do top-down transitions to democracy often require a mistake or miscalculation by authoritarian elites

regimes are designed to maintain control, not willingly relinquish power

analyze how Gorbachev’s policies of glasnost and perestroika influenced democratization in Eastern Europe

(openness)(political restructuring), freedom of speech, rise of movements

explain the concept of digital authoritarianism, mention at least two tools used by autocratic governments

internet oppression, internet shutdowns, banning websites/VPNs/search words, jailing activists

how does the selectorate theory explain why some autocrats survive longer in power than others

by analyzing the size of their winning coalition

define affective polarization and describe one way it threatens democratic stability

hating other social groups based on their social identity, ruins social capital

explain how economic inequality can create obstacles for democratic consolidation

undermine political stability

how does education contribute to building democratic citizenship and social trust

build shared norms and cooperation

analyze the limitations of top-down transitions, why might elite led liberalization fail to lead to full democratization

they are designed to maintain elite control rather than relinquish power entirely

what are some of the causes of recent success of far right parties with examples

economic, social, political factors, France’s National Rally is gaining more support

why do some states fail, two characteristics of a failed state

fail when they lose the ability to coerce power, loss of coerce power and inability to provide basic services

why do constructivists argue that culture is not a fixed determinant of political outcomes

they see political identities as evolving rather than rigid

how does a presidential democracy prevent the legislature from removing the executive

clear separation of powers

how does Duverger’s law explain why some countries develop two party systems while others have multiparty systems

single member district tends to produce two party systems, while proportional representation tends to produce multiparty systems

explain the concept of electoral disproportionality

the mismatch between the percentage of votes a party receives in an election and the percentage of seats it gets in the legislature